


Full-Time Job

by wilddragonflying



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers Family, Avengers being everyday heroes, Gen, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-13 05:14:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2138301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wilddragonflying/pseuds/wilddragonflying
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is what the Avengers do when they're not busy saving the entire world in an overt way.</p><p>They save it in the little ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Full-Time Job

**Author's Note:**

> This is just the culmination of a lot of things.

It starts after Bucky joins the Avengers.

It's been several years since D.C., and Bucky's been living in Stark Tower with the rest of the Avengers for a few of those. He's never going to be back to the way he was before he fell, but he thinks he's found a nice balance. And if that balance fails, he's got people to catch him. Steve, Nat, Bruce-- hell, even Tony. They've become his second family-- Steve always his first.

It's after one particularly easy world-saving mission that Bucky hears about the protesters in front of a local abortion clinic. He frowns when he hears about it, and when Steve asks him where he's going, Bucky just tells him he's going for a walk, wants some time to himself. Steve respects that, just asks that he keep his phone on so if something happens they can reach him, or he can reach them. Bucky agrees, and kits himself out in full Winter Soldier gear sans goggles and muzzle before walking out the front door of the Tower.

It's easy to find the clinic-- he can hear the protesters shouting several streets away, even with all of the New York traffic and hub-bub. As he draws closer, Bucky comes up on a young woman who's biting her lip and pacing anxiously. "What's wrong?" he asks, making sure to approach openly so as not to startle her.

Even still, the woman startles and eyes him warily, before seeming to recognize Bucky. She relaxes and answers, "I, uh-- Unplanned pregnancy. I can't get through, and I need to, I can't afford the medical stuff or a child." She glances towards the solid line of protesters, and Bucky considers them.

"I can help," he offers, holding out his elbow for her to take if she wants. She offers him a grateful smile and accepts. "Call me Bucky," he says with a small grin as they start to walk.

"Kathy," the woman replies, smiling shyly.

Bucky smiles back reassuringly before letting his expression harden as they reach the line of protesters. "Excuse me," he says coldly, reaching forward to tap a man on the shoulder with his left hand. "My friend and I need to get through." The outrage, realization, and then fear that cross the man's face is satisfying; even more so when he hastily moves out of the way as Bucky takes a meaningful step forward. The crowd parts like the Red Sea as word travels through it that the Winter Soldier is here and he's escorting a woman to the clinic. When they reach the front of the line, a man shoves a camera-- one of many there, Bucky's displeased to notice-- in Bucky's face and asks if the baby's his. Bucky raises one eyebrow before simply reaching out and tearing the lens off before answering. "No," he says simply. "But everyone has a choice to their body-- you deny that, you're no better than HYDRA." With that, Bucky leads Kathy to the doors, making sure she gets in safely and to an attendant before returning outside.

***

When Steve and Tony show up, it's after they've seen the footage of Bucky destroying the camera and taking up a stance on the front steps. When they arrive, Bucky's sitting on the steps nonchalantly sharpening his knives, the crowd hushed around him, not daring to do anything. Bucky's been stabilized for a long time, but everyone's seen the footage of D.C., and a few of the fights were some lucky cameramen got good shots of Bucky taking out opponents during battles.

Steve approaches Bucky while Tony starts telling off the newspeople. "Hey, Buck," he says softly, unsure of how deep inside his head Bucky's gone.

Not too much, Steve sees when Bucky lifts his head, but enough that his gaze is harder than what Steve's gotten used to. "Heyya, Steve," he replies, his gaze flickering to the side before returning to his knife. He holds it up in front of his face, eyeing it critically before sheathing it and pulling out his pistol and beginning to systematically dismantle and reassemble it. "What can I do for you?"

Steve shrugs. "Tell me where you want me," he says simply. If Buck's surprised by the request, he hides it well, simply gesturing to the other side of the steps, where Steve moves and then stands, his shield on one arm as he runs an eye over the assembled crowd.

Tony's on one side when some ballsy journalist decides to call out, "Hey, Cap-- What do you think of the Winter Soldier's words earlier?"

Steve glances to Bucky, who simply shrugs and continues toying with his weapons. Steve returns his focus to the journalist and replies, "I agree. You can't control what someone does with their own body-- and most women who come here for abortions have good reasons. They can't afford the medical bills, or maybe they aren't in a good home situation. Whatever their reason, it's still their choice. We live in a world now where it's safe for women to terminate a pregnancy and survive. Or would you rather go back to the way Bucky and I grew up with-- hearing about those poor girls on the streets, out there trying to earn a few extra bucks to feed themselves or a sibling, and ending up pregnant and then using a rusty coat hanger or some nutjob with a knife to terminate the pregnancy or force a miscarriage? Because I don't. Women are citizens, but above that, they're _people._ No person deserves to go through unnecessary pain, for any reason."

***

The next day, it's all over the news that Captain America, Iron Man, and the Winter Soldier showed up outside an abortion clinic and helped women through the crowds. 

After that, it becomes a regular thing. If they're not fighting off some major villain, then a few of the Avengers will show up outside abortion clinics, or a funeral the Westboro Baptist Church is picketing, or anywhere, really, and help out. Whether it's clearing a way for women to come through to the clinics, keeping the picketers a good distance from the funeral, or stopping police from using force on protesters in the streets after an unjust police killing, it slowly became almost expected for an Avenger to show up when there was a good cause.

Eventually, it was bound to crop up in an interview, and when it did, Bucky took the question, shocking everyone. Ever since he'd joined the Avengers, Bucky had refused to speak during press conferences or interviews, even if he was obligated to be there. When he spoke, everyone listened. "We go to these things because it's the right thing to do," he starts off with. "I spent seventy years as a slave to the whims of the people who gave me this arm." When he lifts it, the gears inside whir and click softly; an intimidating sound that Bucky had insisted on keeping. "I never got the chance to say 'no' or to decide anything for myself; all of the decisions were made for me. My memories were stolen from me, and I was forced into a lifestyle that I never wanted. I was beaten, punished, and flat-out tortured for the hell of it when they had a new weapon to test. I know what it is to be reduced to less than nothing by people in positions of authority. I know what it's like to be judged for things beyond my control. That's why I went to that first abortion clinic-- those people thought they had the right to make decisions for other people. That made them as bad as anyone from HYDRA, and I wasn't going to stand for it."

When he finishes speaking, Steve reaches over and places a reassuring hand on Bucky's shoulder, squeezing lightly. Bucky offers him a grateful smile as the interviewer tries to come up with another question.


End file.
